Then contact Janette (janette.elaine.auer@gmail.com or 613-273-8760) with your name, email, telephone number, and a list of the trees you want. Once she confirms that the trees are available, you can pay:

by e-transfer to janette.elaine.auer@gmail.com, or

by cheque made out to Westport in Bloom, PO Box 521, Westport ON K0G 1X0.

As soon as your payment is received, you will receive an email confirmation of your order that will serve as your receipt.

Don’t forget to include your telephone number with your order – we’ll need it to contact you if you forget to pick up your tree in April. And please be sure to give us the name you want on your order: if you order under your married name, for instance, but use another name on your cheque or email, we may get confused!

DO YOU HAVE GIFT CARDS?

Celebrating a wedding, welcoming a new baby, remembering someone special or just looking for a little Christmas magic? The promise of a tree is the perfect gift, all wrapped up in dreams of springtime. And if you need a card to go with your gift, we have one all ready for you. Just place your order, download our foldable, ready-to-print card here, and add your own personal note to the recipient on the inside page. Nothing easier or more welcome!

Trees will be available for pickup on Saturday, April 27, 2019, from 9 am to noon, at the Westport Community Centre/Arena, 37 Spring Street (at Concession Street/Hwy 42) in Westport.

WHAT ARE BARE-ROOT TREES?

Most of our trees arrive in bare-root form, with their roots bagged in plastic, rather than heavy pots of soil. As a result, they are light to carry and easy to plant. Bare-root trees can have a root mass up to 200% larger than the roots of a balled-and-burlapped or container tree, and they become established more quickly after transplanting. For detailed planting instructions, see HOW SHOULD I PLANT MY TREE?, below, or download our PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS here:

Canada’s plant hardiness zones identify the areas where different trees and plants will probably survive. While US planting zones are based solely on minimum winter temperatures, Canadian planting zones are based on a wide range of climate conditions, including year-round maximum and minimum temperatures, rainfall, wind and frost-free period. The harshest zone is 0, and the mildest is 8. Westport was previously classified as zone 5a but, as a result of climate change, is now considered zone 5b.

Find the hardiness zone for your own municipality on this Government of Canada website: http://www.planthardiness.gc.ca/?m=22&lang=en. In some cases, sheltered areas of your property may be able to support trees that would not normally survive in your official zone.

HOW BIG WILL MY TREE BE ON ARRIVAL?

The approximate size of the tree you will receive is shown in our catalogue listings under the colour photo. More often than not, the trees our supplier sends us are significantly larger than indicated.

DO I NEED TWO FRUIT TREES TO GET FRUIT?

Most fruit trees require a different variety of the same kind of tree within a maximum of 200 feet. Bartlett pears, Italian plums and some apple trees will self-pollinate, but the crop will be heavier and more reliable if they have company. Crabapples with white blossoms make excellent pollinators for apple trees, and a beehive in the area can only help!

HOW LONG WILL IT BE BEFORE I HAVE FRUIT ON MY TREE?

Fruit trees are generally 3 to 6 years old before they start to bear fruit. Given good conditions and proper care, our trees should begin producing in 2 or 3 summers, since they have already been growing for several years.

WHERE SHOULD I PLANT MY TREE?

Before you plant, make sure that you’re well away from water, sewer, septic and gas lines, to avoid costly problems in the future. And make sure that your tree is not in a location that will interfere with overhead wires as it grows.

WHERE CAN I PLANT A WILLOW TREE?

Willows are happiest in damp or low-lying areas, and can make a soggy part of your lawn usable again by soaking up extra water. They should not be planted within 50 feet of water or sewer lines, although this is a less serious problem with modern PVC pipe than it once was. They are a beautiful tree in a large landscape, but they do need space.

HOW SHOULD I PLANT MY TREE?

Both bare root and container trees should be planted as soon as possible. If you are unable to plant your tree right away, keep it in a cool shady place, give it water, and plant as soon as possible – it will be fine for a day or two, but do NOT let the roots dry out.

Locate your tree away from utilities, septic systems and buildings.

Remove the grass from a circle about 3 feet in diameter. Dig a saucer-shaped hole, sloping inwards to about as deep as the root mass and about twice as wide. Make a loose mound of soil (a few shovels full) in the centre. Rough up the exposed soil to encourage root penetration.

Cut off any broken twigs or root ends. Do not cut or remove the central leader.

Remove the plastic bag or container. If your container tree is root-bound, cut an X in the base of the root ball and four vertical slices along the sides, using a sharp knife.

Place the tree on the mound of soil in the hole. For a bare-root tree, spread the roots so that the tree sits on the mound and the roots spread freely, away and down from the base of your tree.

Wet the roots and dust with the small plastic bag of Myke provided (Mycorrhizae root stimulant).

The tree will drop by a couple of inches when the earth compacts, so plant the tree so that the topmost root will meet the trunk slightly above the surrounding soil.

Anchor the tree by placing about six inches of soil around the roots. Adding compost to the soil is no longer recommended, since it encourages the roots to stay in the original planting hole.

Soak the soil thoroughly until the mud is the consistency of stew and flows around the roots, and jiggle the tree up and down to remove air pockets. Check that the trunk is vertical.

Spread another few inches of soil, wet thoroughly and repeat until the soil is level with the undisturbed area. The soil line on the trunk or the spot where the topmost root meets the trunk should be 1 or 2 inches above the soil around the tree. Pack the soil lightly with your heel.

Build a water ring about 3 inches high around the edge of the planting hole, or dig a 2-3-inch ring basin around the drip line. Fill with water. The ring can be removed by the next growing season.

Spread about 2 inches of mulch over the area, but keep the mulch3-4 inches away from the tree trunk. Wet mulch can cause disease if it is in contact with the trunk.

During the first season, after the tree leafs out, water it for 5-6 minutes once a week or until the soil is saturated, even if it rains.